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3 Advantages of Hydrogen as a Fuel: Engine Performance and Reviews

October 31, 2012

Much has been made of hydrogen as a fuel in recent years. Millions of dollars are being spent on research, and the first commercially available hydrogen energy car is already on the roads. What advantages does hydrogen as a fuel offer over other fuel alternatives?

Emissions

Hydrogen as a fuel contains absolutely no emissions. There is a little water but this isn’t a pollutant. The nature of the process means no carbon dioxide is created, so this is a very clean alternative fuel. Hydrogen and oxygen are forced together under pressure to produce a tiny charge of electricity. With a large number of these reactions in a hydrogen fuel cell, there’s ample power created to propel the vehicle.

Power

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are the size of regular cars, and can achieve the speeds most people desire. That gives them the edge over electric vehicles, which can’t yet achieve highway speeds. The main drawback is the range which currently stands at only around 250 miles before the vehicle needs to be refilled. Currently, hydrogen as a fuel is only available at a few stations, but this number will inevitably grow.

Performance

At 60 miles to the kilo of hydrogen, the performance of hydrogen as a fuel is better than gasoline engines. This will also likely improve as the technology advances. The reviews have been uniformly excellent, commenting on the quietness and smoothness of the ride. The only real criticism has been about the acceleration, which takes around 10 seconds to go from 0 to 60. This is nowhere near as quick as vehicles with conventional engines.